trayis



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. G. L. TRAVIS.

POWER TRANSMITTER.

No. 556,385. Patented Mar. 1'7, 18%;

Witn eaaas; fn/vemvr;

'@ 7/ C/uzr/cJ'L. Tray/Is,

ANDREW B GRAHAMJNDTOLMIO VIASHING'IDNYRC' (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet2. O. L. TRAVIS. TOWER TRANSMITTER.

Patented Mar. 1

'p 15: INK/6,71%)"; Char/e: 112712723" Wieywew;

UO4-@W UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

Y. CI-IUTE, OF

SAME PLACE.

POWER-TRANSMITTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 556,385, dated March 17, 1896.

Application filed March 28, 1895.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES L. TRAVIS, of the city of Minneapolis, county of Hennepin, State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Power-Transmitters, of which the following; is a specification.

My invention relates to means for transmitting power, and, further, to means for varying the speed of transmission and for reversing the direction of movement at will.

The object of my invention is to provide a device of a simple, cheap and durable construction which will within itself be a complete variable-speed and reversible powertransmitter, all without the use of gears or other positive speed-movements; and to this end my invention consists in the combination, with a suitable surface disk, of a suitable roller or wide pulley arranged in proximity thereto and substantially parallel to said disk, means for driving one or the other, and a flexible and elastic belt or belts and means'for' moving the same between said roller and disk; and, further, my invention consists in a roller or wide pulley of greater length than the diameter of the surface portion of said disk, whereby one or both of the belts may be shifted to the respective ends of said roller to disengage the same from said disk; and, further, my invention consists in particular means for moving and for controlling the movement of said belt or belts; and, further, my invention consists in particularly constructed and formed belts for use upon said roller and between the same and said disk; and, further, my invention consists in particular constructions and in combinations of parts, all as hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, and in which Figure 1 is a side view of a device embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a front thereof. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail sectional view showing the relative relations of the disk and the roll and the belts thereon. Fig. 4 is a transverse section on the line a; a: of Fig. 3, and shows the belt and its idler. Figs. 5 and 6 are respectively sectional and side detail Serial No. 543,607. (No model.)

views illustrating the construction of the belt.

Figs. 7 and S are side and sectional views of a modified form of belt or pneumatic tube.

As shown in the drawings, a base 2 of suitable form, adapted to be fastened to the floor, ceiling or wall or any piece of machinery, is provided with standards or arms 3, wherein are sockets 4: to receive a shaft 5 and bear- 6o ings 6 for the shaft 7 of the roller or wide pulley 8. The upper or outer ends of the arms 3 are joined by the cross bar or portion 9, wherein the long bearing 10 is provided, said bearing being at right angles to the shaft 7 and adapted to receive the shaft whereon the surface disk 11 is secured. The transmitting device 12 of any kind is secured to the outer end of this shaft. As shown in Figs. 3-and 4. the disk is very slightly coned or beveled from the center out, and its edge is preferably tapered, as shown at 13. The disk is arranged quite closely to the surface of the roller 8, and the roller is of somewhat greater length than the diameter of the disk, in order to accommodate the belts or endless intermediaries or idlers lat entirely free and independentof the disk when desired. These belts are adapted to enter between the disk and the pulley or roller, one or the other at a time, and prac- 8o tically the belt when between the two parts v serves as a coupling whereby one is driven. by the other.

The belts employed may be of any desired form; but, as shown, I prefer to use a round 8 5 belt of rubber or leather or like flexible and elastic material.

The speed of the transmission will be varied with the position of the belt with respect to the distance from the center of the disk, and 0 as it is necessary to provide some means for shifting thebelts and for holding them in desired positions between the disk and roller I provide a longitudinally-movable idler-pulley 15 for each belt. These pulleys revolve freely 9 5 on the shaft 5, and by means of shifting-levers 16 17 they may be moved backward and forward to shift the belts toward or from the disk center. But one belt may be used at a time, as it is obvious that a change from one to the other causes a reversal in the movement between the disk and roller. Hence I provide means whereby both belts may be thrown entirely out of engagement with the disk or either one moved inwardly. Such means consist in the centrally-pivoted lever 18 containing slots 19 into which pins 20 project from the levers 16 17, respectively. The upper parts of these slots are in arcs concentrio with the center of the lever, so that as the lever is moved in one direction to throw in one of the arms the pin of the opposite arm will not be moved from its outer position. Thus but one belt can be moved between the disk and roller at a time and must be entirely freed therefrom before the opposite belt will move inward. hen desired I provide suitable means such as a simple pawl or dog 21 for locking both levers in their outer position.

For the purposes of explanation the belt 22 running over the pulley 23 on the roller-shaftmay be considered as the driving-belt, while the speed and direction of the belt 24 are controlled through the disk. As the'position of either belt when in use between the two parts determines the speed of the disk the application of a governor to limit or control the speed is rendered very simple, it being alone necessary to provide a device, such as the governor 25, continuously driven from the roller-shaft and adapted through suitable spring or weight restrained levers to operate upon the main shifting-lever 18 to control the movements of either lever 16 or 17 and the respective belts or intermediaries I preferably provide the connecting-rod 26 of the governor with one or more pinholes 27 for connections with the main lever, as necessary, according to the direction of movement desired.

Upon small machines, and even upon those required for the transmission of large power, I may employ simple round, solid or hollow rubber belts or other compressible belts of suitable material; but in many instances I prefer to use pneumatic belts very similar to bicycle tires, but preferably covered with leather, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6. In these views 28 represents the rubber tubing and 29 and 30 the two parts of the leather cover. The edges of these parts are extended outward and fastened to one another, and upon these extending edges I rely to prevent the rolling of the belt as it is moved between the disk and the roller or wide pulley. The flanges at such times hold the belt by coming in contact with suitable outwardly-extended flanges 31, provided upon the idler-pulley.

In closing I desire to call particular attention to the factthat the belt when squeezed between the disk and roller simply acts as a friction-block between them to connect the two parts, and that this block is made continuous or in belt form, and, further, that as the only action of the two parts upon the belts is that-of squeezing or temporarily compressing the same there is absolutely no strain upon the belt to break or pull the same apart. This part of my device cannot therefore be considered as a belt in its ordinary sense or use. Further, though I much prefer to use a round belt to avoid the effects of It is further obvious that many modifications and changes may be made in my device as above described without departing from the spirit of my invention, and I therefore do not confine the same to the specific construction shown and described.

IIavin g thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent-- 1. The combination, with the surface disk, of a roller or wide pulley arranged in prox= imity thereto and substantially parallel to the surface of said disk, and a belt or endless intermediary extending about said roller, an idler over which said belt is adapted to run, and means for shifting said idler to move said belt into and out of engagement with the disk, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with a surface disk, of a roller or wide pulley arranged opposite the same and substantially parallel to the surface thereof, and a round but flanged belt provided upon said roller to be moved along the same to connect said roller and disk, a flanged idler over which said beltis adapted to run, and with which the flanges thereof are adapted to engage to prevent the rolling of said belt, and means for shifting said idler to move or shift said belt upon said roller, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with the disk, of the roller arranged opposite the same and perpendicular to the axis thereof, belts provided upon the opposite ends of' said roller, idlers over which said belts run, shifting-levers provided in connection with said idler, a main lever adapted to actuate said shifting-levers one at a time and a governor driven from said roller and adapted to actuate said main lever, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

4. The combination, with a surface disk, of a longitudinally-stationary roller arranged in proximity thereto and of greater length than the diameter of the surface portion of said disk, two belts arranged on opposite ends of said roller and of a thickness to engage the same and the disk, means for driving said disk or said roller, and a shifting mechanism whereby either of said belts may be moved longitudinally upon a roller and into engagement with the disk and whereby but one belt can be made to engage the disk at a time, substantially as described.

5. The combination, with a surface disk, of a longitudinallyvstation ary roller or wide pulley arranged opposite the same and substantially parallel with the surface thereof, a flexible belt running upon said roller and whereby the same and said disk may be engaged, ainow able idler upon which the free portion of said belt is carried, and means for shifting said idler to move said belt longitudinally upon said roller into or out of engagement with said disk, substantially as described.

6. The combination with a surface disk, of a longitudinally-stationary roller arranged in proximity thereto and of greater length than the diameter of the surface portion of said disk, two belts arranged on opposite ends of said roller and of a thickness to engage the same and the disk, when moved between said parts, driving means in connection with one of said parts, and a shifting mechanism whereby either of said belts may be moved longitudinally upon the roller and into engagement with the disk, substantially as described.

7. The combination, with a surface disk, of a longitudinally-stationary roller arranged in proximity thereto and of greater length than the diameter of the surface portion of said disk, a belt or endless intermediary provided upon each end of said roller, said belts being the medium of engagement between said parts, idlers whereon the free portions of said belts run respectively, and shifting means in connection with said idlers whereby said belts may be shifted longitudinally upon said roller, said shifting means being such that roller and adapted to run between the same as the medium of engagement between said parts, said belt adapted to be inflated in accordance with the work to be done and the frictional engagement required between the belt and the roller and disk, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 8th day of March, A. D. 1895.

CHARLES L. TRAVIS.

In presence of (J. G. HAWLEY, FREDERICK S. LYON. 

